diff --git a/tslang/lib/TypeScript/MLIRGenCast.cpp b/tslang/lib/TypeScript/MLIRGenCast.cpp
index ae26d491d..ccc1a9022 100644
--- a/tslang/lib/TypeScript/MLIRGenCast.cpp
+++ b/tslang/lib/TypeScript/MLIRGenCast.cpp
@@ -941,7 +941,11 @@ namespace mlirgen
             return std::nullopt;
         }
 
-        if (constArrayType.getElementType() == arrayType.getElementType())
+        // the same element type needs no conversion - unless the elements are arrays: the cast below
+        // copies only the outer data to the heap, and the inner arrays kept pointing at the literal's
+        // constant data, so `nested[1].push(4)` reallocated a global and `nested[1][0] = 9` wrote one
+        if (constArrayType.getElementType() == arrayType.getElementType()
+            && !isa<mlir_ts::ArrayType>(arrayType.getElementType()))
         {
             return std::nullopt;
         }
diff --git a/tslang/test/tester/CMakeLists.txt b/tslang/test/tester/CMakeLists.txt
index d429687fa..1d7ca0834 100644
--- a/tslang/test/tester/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tslang/test/tester/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -299,6 +299,7 @@ tslang_add_test(NAME test-compile-00-const-array-to-array-elements COMMAND test-
 tslang_add_test(NAME test-compile-00-array-widen-elements-now COMMAND test-runner "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/tester/tests/00array_widen_elements_now.ts")
 tslang_add_test(NAME test-compile-00-const-array-nested-elements COMMAND test-runner "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/tester/tests/00const_array_nested_elements.ts")
 tslang_add_test(NAME test-compile-00-const-array-mutation COMMAND test-runner "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/tester/tests/00const_array_mutation.ts")
+tslang_add_test(NAME test-compile-00-nested-array-literal-mutation COMMAND test-runner "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/tester/tests/00nested_array_literal_mutation.ts")
 tslang_add_test(NAME test-compile-00-array-move-wide-elements COMMAND test-runner "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/tester/tests/00array_move_wide_elements.ts")
 tslang_add_test(NAME test-compile-00-bigint-struct-layout COMMAND test-runner "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/tester/tests/00bigint_struct_layout.ts")
 tslang_add_test(NAME test-compile-00-union-member-padding COMMAND test-runner "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/tester/tests/00union_member_padding.ts")
@@ -736,6 +737,7 @@ tslang_add_test(NAME test-jit-00-const-array-to-array-elements COMMAND test-runn
 tslang_add_test(NAME test-jit-00-array-widen-elements-now COMMAND test-runner -jit "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/tester/tests/00array_widen_elements_now.ts")
 tslang_add_test(NAME test-jit-00-const-array-nested-elements COMMAND test-runner -jit "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/tester/tests/00const_array_nested_elements.ts")
 tslang_add_test(NAME test-jit-00-const-array-mutation COMMAND test-runner -jit "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/tester/tests/00const_array_mutation.ts")
+tslang_add_test(NAME test-jit-00-nested-array-literal-mutation COMMAND test-runner -jit "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/tester/tests/00nested_array_literal_mutation.ts")
 tslang_add_test(NAME test-jit-00-array-move-wide-elements COMMAND test-runner -jit "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/tester/tests/00array_move_wide_elements.ts")
 tslang_add_test(NAME test-jit-00-funcs-expression-generic COMMAND test-runner -jit "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/tester/tests/00funcs_expression_generic.ts")
 tslang_add_test(NAME test-jit-00-funcs-expression-iterator COMMAND test-runner -jit "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/tester/tests/00funcs_expression_iterator.ts")
@@ -1480,6 +1482,7 @@ set(TSLANG_CORPUS
     00add_promotes_both_operands.ts
     00conditional_owned_result.ts
     00const_array_nested_elements.ts
+    00nested_array_literal_mutation.ts
     00const_array_to_array_elements.ts
     00array_widen_elements_now.ts
     00owned_array_splice.ts
diff --git a/tslang/test/tester/tests/00nested_array_literal_mutation.ts b/tslang/test/tester/tests/00nested_array_literal_mutation.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8d10cc466
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tslang/test/tester/tests/00nested_array_literal_mutation.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+// A nested array literal's inner arrays are mutable. Turning the literal into an array copied only
+// the outer data to the heap: the inner arrays kept pointing at the literal's constant data, so a
+// push onto one reallocated a global (a crash in the allocator) and an element write wrote one.
+const moduleNested = [[1, 2], [3]];
+
+function main() {
+    const nested = [[1, 2], [3]];
+    nested[1].push(4);
+    nested[0][0] = 9;
+    assert(nested[1].length == 2, "const: push onto an inner array");
+    assert(nested[1][1] == 4, "const: pushed element");
+    assert(nested[0][0] == 9, "const: element write in an inner array");
+
+    let reassignable = [[5], [6, 7]];
+    reassignable[0].push(8);
+    assert(reassignable[0].length == 2, "let: push onto an inner array");
+    assert(reassignable[0][1] == 8, "let: pushed element");
+
+    const deep = [[[1]], [[2, 3]]];
+    deep[1][0].push(4);
+    assert(deep[1][0].length == 3, "three levels: push onto the innermost array");
+
+    moduleNested[0].push(10);
+    assert(moduleNested[0].length == 3, "module: push onto an inner array");
+    assert(moduleNested[0][2] == 10, "module: pushed element");
+
+    // a fresh literal each time: the first call's writes are not seen by the second
+    for (let i = 0; i < 2; i++) {
+        const fresh = [[0]];
+        assert(fresh[0][0] == 0, "fresh literal per iteration");
+        fresh[0][0] = 1;
+    }
+
+    print("done.");
+}